NOT VMX - Toyota Kluger - any mechanics out there?

[Hoony]

This forum has a wealth of knowledge amongst its ranks, not only vmx but of many topics you could ever imagine someone will know something. so with this in mind i thought this maybe worth a try.

I have a 2009 V6 Toyota Kluger that has developed an intermittent problem. 150,00 km on the clock one owner (Us)

It occasionally has Blue smoke coming out the exhaust but not all the time.

:- Some mornings (but not all, it’s very intermittent) a big puff of blue smoke on initial start but then it clears very fast.

:- After prolonged freeway driving (100kmh) and then pulling onto an off ramp to a standstill, and then mild acceleration a large plume is seen which then clears very quickly.

This is very strange and the intermittent nature of this has me confused. I was thinking valve stem seals at first but then I would think that the issue would be every cold start (but this is not the case)


all replies appreciated.

Hoony

[Stewart Allen]

Sounds like valve stem seals/ valve guides. How many km's ?

[llewdaert]

Stem seals or EGR issue?

Sounds like valve stem seals/ valve guides. How many km's ?

[Gippslander]

What engine?
The "old" test for stem seals is to get up to operating temp and drive a few k's then in say 3rd gear (or lock/hold in gear if auto) go down a long hill with foot of the throttle, then put throttle down and the oil that has been sucked in through the faulty stem seal(s) should burn with a resulting easily seen puf of smoke - and you may need someone following to make sure
Also - is it blue or black smoke?  Blue = oil  Black = fuel  (generally the same for both diesel and petrol engines)
is the oil level way too high? can cause all sorts of smoke and power problems
Is it using any oil? check the dipstick - engines can burn a lot of oil and not leave much smoke that the driver can see (those following will see it), might be burning oil all the time and just puffs a cloud when it gets really loaded up
smoke at startup is easily checked for colour - if it's blue then it's oil and that can only mean oil getting into cylinders by "dripping" in on top of the piston - often valve guide or stem seals but not always.

[80-85 husky]

try putting a can of that engine clean or injector clean thru, then I would give it an oil change and filter and also search the Toyota forums, maybe a common fault with those engines??. sure sounds like stem seals to me. pretty easy fix I would assume...once all the peripherals are unbolted

[Hoony]

Thanks Guys, 150,000 km on the clock one owner (us) so the engine should not be stuffed yet.

80-85 Husky, i have done the engine flush/cleaner 3 times seemed to improve frequency of the smoke ( less frequent) but still there.

Gippslander, i will try what you suggest

[Mick D]

I'm pretty sure it's only the hilux's that are unbreakable.

[80-85 husky]

at 150k's it may be reaching its used by date. if the oil rings on 1 piston have failed you can also get that similar smoke pattern. compression test wont help you tho. if the "engine cleaner" is reducing the smoke, it may be a stuck oil ring etc. check out the process to do the valve stems first and if it isn't "fousands" of dollars, try that first. it only takes 1 or 2 seals to go hard to cause issues. the compressed air in the cyl to hold the valves up makes it a fairly easy job as long as the cam stuff comes off easily.

[sleepy]

Find an inspection camera and have a look at the piston tops, if there is wet oil anywhere around edge of the crown it is most likely to be rings. If no oil on pistons it could be stem seals.

[brucey]

At 8 years old and such low k I am more inclined to say EGR valve I recently replaced mine and that resolved my occasional dump of blue smoke in the morning

Good luck with it mate

Bruce 

[80-85 husky]

put one of these in er..that'l sort it
https://youtu.be/be_B9eOFZHY

[Hoony]

At 8 years old and such low k I am more inclined to say EGR valve I recently replaced mine and that resolved my occasional dump of blue smoke in the morning

Good luck with it mate

Bruce

Thanks Bruce what is a EGR valve are the modern engine equivalent of a PCV ? i'm not a car bloke.

[llewdaert]

egr.= Exhaust gas recirculator
 Feeds exhaust gas back to the inlet manifold
Part of the pollution control stuff
It is illegal to put a blanking plate to disable the device
The plates are usually easy to buy from ebay, and google provides the technical details.
They can make the inlet manifold oily and foul.
This may be the smoking cause??

[Hoony]

Thanks mate i appreciate the info above

[Mick D]

Blue smoke is burning oil.

Most likely a sludge build up in the baffle that is supposed to stop oil being sucked through to the intake manifold via the PCV valve. 99.9% certain.